Put Me In! Supported by Science: Trends in Adverse Childhood Experiences, Positive Childhood Experiences, and Health Outcomes Among CIPs

My name is Lilia Kasdon and I am a Research Intern for Put Me In! I will be sharing some of my findings in this series of blog posts, Put Me In! Supported by Science.

My name is Lilia Kasdon, and I am a rising junior at Wesleyan University. This is my third summer working as an intern for Put Me In! This summer, I am researching the effects of parental incarceration on health and life outcomes and the benefits of sports for CIPs. I will share some of my findings in posts on this blog, “Put Me In! Supported by Science.” This is the first in this series of blog posts, and I look forward to continuing to share this work.

In my research this week, I focused on the relationship between parental incarceration and other Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and explored health outcomes for Children of Incarcerated Parents (CIPs). Research in developmental psychology highlights that CIPs are at a higher risk of experiencing additional ACEs, including parental separation or divorce, witnessing violent behavior and substance use in the home, and abuse (Rhodes et al., 2023). One study by Turney (2018) found that CIPs encounter five times more additional ACEs than their peers who have not had a parent incarcerated. Rhodes and colleagues also identified that CIPs are less likely to have Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs), which support healthy development. In terms of PCEs, researchers found that the most significant difference between CIPs and non-CIPs was regarding involvement in extracurricular activities, which they suggest “may relate to differences in the financial and time resources for caregivers of CIPs” (Rhodes et al., 2023, p. 1941). This finding highlights the barriers preventing CIPs from participating in activities that have the potential to offset the negative effects of ACEs. 

Due to the intense emotional and physiological stress that comes with being separated from a parent or caregiver, the developmental trajectory of a child who undergoes this separation is often negatively impacted. However, in some cases, these children will receive support from their community, which provides a buffer against this stress and works to protect their health and well-being. CIPs often do not get this community-sourced support as a result of the stigma associated with incarceration, making parental incarceration a particularly harmful ACE (Rhodes et al., 2023, p. 1934). The detrimental effects of parental incarceration are evident in studies focusing on health outcomes for CIPs. Jackson and colleagues‘ (2021) analysis of data from the 2016-2018 National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) revealed that CIPs are at a higher risk for poor health than their non-CIP peers who have experienced other ACEs. In all areas of health, including mental, physical, and developmental, “CIPs have 149% increase in the relative risk of having health conditions” when compared to children who have experienced one other ACE and an increased risk of 577% compared to children who have not been exposed to any ACEs (Jackson et al., 2021, p. 9). 

Bomysoad & Francis (2021) also found that youth exposed to parental incarceration are at a higher risk for psychopathologies, such as depression, anxiety, behavioral issues, ADHD, and substance use disorders. However, they identified that extracurricular activity engagement and daily physical activity effectively reduce this risk, reporting that CIPs who participated in at least one extracurricular activity were less likely to develop behavioral issues, and among youth who engaged in one hour of daily physical activity, there was a lower incidence of anxiety and depression (Bomysoad & Francis, 2021).  These results suggest that sports – which combine extracurricular involvement and physical activity – have the potential to improve health outcomes for CIPs. As previously mentioned, CIPs are often unable to participate in these extracurricular activities due to financial stress and time constraints. Put Me In! helps to fill this participation gap by providing annual funding that allows CIPs to engage in sports and experience the associated health benefits. 

Please share any questions or comments you have on this post and I will be sure to respond. Keep an eye out for my next post about the effects of parental incarceration on executive functioning, academic performance, and life outcomes.

Works cited: 

• Bomysoad, R. N., & Francis, L. A. (2022). Associations between parental incarceration and youth mental health conditions: The mitigating effects of adolescent resilience and positive coping strategies. Current Psychology: A Journal for Diverse Perspectives on Diverse Psychological Issues, 41(12), 8746–8757. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-01351-0

• Jackson, D. B., Testa, A., Semenza, D. C., & Vaughn, M. G. (2021). Parental Incarceration, Child Adversity, and Child Health: A Strategic Comparison Approach. International journal of environmental research and public health, 18(7), 3384. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18073384

• Rhodes, C. A., Thomas, N., O'Hara, K. L., Hita, L., Blake, A., Wolchik, S. A., Fisher, B., Freeman, M., Chen, D., & Berkel, C. (2023). Enhancing the Focus: How Does Parental Incarceration Fit into the Overall Picture of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs)?. Research on child and adolescent psychopathology, 51(12), 1933–1944.         https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-023-01142-0

• Turney, K. (2018). Adverse childhood experiences among children of incarcerated parents. Children and Youth Services Review, 89, 218–225.                                               https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.04.033